Switch-locking device for railroads



April 23, 1929- J. E. STEPHENSON 1,710,563

SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROADS Filed llafch 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet1 He. 1 I

I7 20 so l4 2 36 35 v29 l5 L q T I Q l l 4 5} 47 April 23, 1929. J. E.STEPHENSON SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROADS Filed March 18, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet VE TOR. 3Y2

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Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. STEPHENSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW "YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAIL-WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SWITCH-LOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROAIJS.

Application filed March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,508.

This invention relates in general to a lock device and has moreparticular reference to lock means for use in connection with railwaytrack switches.

In operating track switches, and more particularly in cases where theswitch in question outlying some distance from a signal lower, it isoften times lIlQSlI'tllllG to have the operation of the switch under thejoint control of a tower man, and of a switch man at. the location oi.the switch. In such cases it desirable that means of communicationbetween the tower man and the switch man on the track be afforded,together with various indicating means for advising the proper partieswhen certain operations have been initiated or completed or both.

"ith the above and other considerations in mind it is proposed inaccordance with this invention to provide a switch lock which carriesinto ell'ect the above set forth cousidcrations.

Further objects of this invention are, to increase the etticiency,decrease the cost of production, and prolong the useful life, of deviceof the character in question.

Further objects, purposes, and characteristic features of this inventionwill appear as the description progresses, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, showing, solely by way of illustration, oneembodiment of the invention. In the drawingsz Fig. 1 is a sectional sideelevation of a device in accordance with the present invention; i

Fig. 2 a front elevation of part of the device, with the casing dooropen and portiOns broken away and in section to better show theconstruction; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a part of the device with portions brokenaway to more clean-1y show the structure.

Referring to the drawings two casings 1 and 2 are mounted one on top ofthe other, held together by bolts 3, and supported on a hollow post 4:connected at its base 5 to a foundation structure 6.

Parsing through the base 5 is a switch operating lever 7 having a hole 8therein for receiving a lock bolt 9 adjustably connected at '10 to a rod11 arranged to be reciprocated by means of a crank 12 to which it:connected. The crank 12 is operated by shatt 13 to which it is connectedby pin 14, the shaft being rocked through substan tially 180 by means ofa handle 15. In connection with this handle it should be explained, fora purpose to be later explained, that just before the handle reaches its90 position, moving counter clockwise, from the position shown in Fig.2, the lock bolt 9 just clears the rod 7, while when rotated to 180 in acounter clockwise direction, from its position as shown in Fig. 2, thelock bolt 9 is raised considerably above the rod 7. The casing 2, inwhich the structure just described received, has a hinged cover 16, andcarries an inwardly projecting rib 17 arranged as shown in Fig. 2 to bedirectly in the path of the handle when the cover is closed, and thisrib is so positioned as to permit closure of the cover only when thehandle 15 occupies the position shown in Fig. 2, or in any position,when moved counter clockwise, up to the re :lerred to position ofslightly less than 90 from the horizontal at which time the boltt9 justclears the hole in the lever 7.

A counter weight 47, is attached to rod 11 and operates, when handle 15is moved counter clockwise from its shown position to 'ust before itreaches a vertical position, to. ias the handle clockwise tolock theswitch lever 7, and when handle 15 is moved further towards its 180positionto bias the handle counter clockwise to unlock the switch lever.Thus the handle 15 has the unlock position shown in Fig. 2 in which itis biased to switch locking position, a switch unlocking position inwhich .it is biased to switch locking position, and a switch unlockin*position in which it is biased to switch unloc ing position.

Connected to the crank 1250 as to rotate therewith is a segment 18having a notched portion 19 engageable by a detent-2O to thus preventrotation of the handle 15. Engaging the upper side of the detent 20 isan arm 21 which operates an indicator 22, through crank means 23,between stops 24, the indicator thus showing whether the detent 20 isinraised or lowered position. i

For raising and lowering the detent .20, a rod 25 is connected theretoand passes into a casing 26 in which is preferably a rotor type motorcontrollable by an attendant in a distant signal tower, for example.Instead of a rotor type motor, anyother desired form of motor or otherdriving means capable of distant control, can equally well be used andit has been thoughtunnecessary to illustrate in letail either the movingmeans or a circuit or control means running from the casing 26 to adistant signi'il tower.

The detent 20 is carried by an arm 27 pivoted at and carrying a contact29 which cooperates with a iixed contacttltl, the contacts being soarrnug l as to be separated when the detent is raised. These contacts2S) and 30 are connected in an indicating circuit (not shown) rumiing tothe above referred to signal tower and are employed to indicate to thetower 1111111, the positio1'1 oi? the detent 2th The track switch1111111 bctore being able to unlock the switch lever 7, must have thedctent 20 in raised po-ution, and to enable him to notity the tower manwho has control oi? the motive means in causing 26, there is provided apush button 31 which he can depress to close contacts 132 and 1111termed o1: normally separated spring arms, to thereby notify the towerman that it is desired to have the detcut 20 raised out of the path oithe segment 18.

From Fig. 1. it will be noted that operation of the handle 15 rotatesthe shaft ill to thus operate contacts makers 35 to make and breakcircuits including contact members 36. The circuits controlled by themeans just described can control various devices, one

be an indicating means in the signal to r to notrry the tower man thatthe lock bolt9 has been raised.

Also included in the casing 2 is a spring pressed plunger 87, biasedoutwardly by a spring 38 hearing against a support frame 39, the plungercarrying a contact member l0, which, in the outer position. oi theplunger, closes a circuit including contarts tl positioned at eitherside of the member 40. hen. the 1ne1nbcr37 is pushed inwardly thecircuit through the contacts 41. is broken, and this circuit controlsany desired source of power such asbatterics or the like, employed inconnection with throwing oi. the track switch, and is convenientlydc:1ignatcd as a powenoil switch. 011 reterring to Fig. 3 it will beseen that closure of the cover 16 will force the plunger 37 inwardly andthus effectually cut off power from. the systeu'l.

In the upper casing 1 is a series of contacts 42 arranged to control anydesired circuits in connection, for example, with signal means forinterlocking arrangements for the track switch, and these contacts 42are no erated by a rod 43 which is rocked through a crank 44- connectedto a pull rod mount ed in a casing 2 and spring pressed inwardly byspring 46 to break connection at the contacts 42. This rod 45 cannot beoperated until after the covcr'lG of easing 2 is opened and hence themechanism both-in casing l and easing 2 is subject to control of thecover of casing 2.

A conduit 48 connects to casing 2, for carrying various lead-in wir s.The device just described is used in the following 11111111101. it isassumed that the switch operated by the lever 7 is positioned aconsiderable distaure from a signal tower the rod 7 being :lurnishedwith a single hole 8 for locking the switch, for example, only in. mainlineposition. it a train, passing along the main line is to turn outinto a siding controlled by the track switch in question, the trackbrake- 1111:11 opens the door oi. casing 2 and advises the tower man bypressing the button 3]., that it is desired to operate the switch toturn out position. The tower 1111111, it conditions be proper, energizesthe motor in casing 26 so as to raise the latch 20, and upon raising ofsuch latch, the tower man receives an indication that this has beendone, by means controlled through a cirruit including the contacts 29and 30. The switch man at the track then turns handle 15 throughsnibstantially 180 to thereby unlock the member 7, and in turning the hadie 15, a circuit controlled by the contacts 36 gives an indication tothe tower man that the switch is unlocked. In passing, it should benoted that even though the tower 1111111 de cncrgizes the motor incasing 26 after he has received in torniation that the switch isunlocked, the latch 20 will still be lufltl in. its upper posit-ion,thus holding the .i'iulicatcd arm 22 in its upper position, and thelatch 20 will not fall to its lower position until the handle 15 hasbeen rocked back to within a tow degrees oi. the position shown in Fig.The track brakeman now throws the switch and then rocks the handle 15 ina clockwise direction just past a vertical position so that the handleis biased by means oil a counter weight 4-7, to the locking position thebolt 9 bcii 11g prevented from locking the switch lever 7, because thehole 8 is not in registry with the bolt at this time. W'ith the handlein the stated position the door 16 can be closed on the casing 2, therib 17 just clearing the handle 15, after which the train proceeds ontothe siding. The rear track switchman can now operate the track switch tomain line position, whereupon, as soon as it hasreached its finalposition, the hole 8 registers with the bolt 9, which descends to lockthe switch in. main line position and restore the various parts to theposition shown in the drawing.

If desired, the rib 17 can be extended to cover the entire 180 ofpossible movement of handle 15, in which case, the cover 16 cannot beclosed on its casing 2, until. after the track switch has been thrown tomain line position, and the lock bolt 9, lowered into hole 8.

While the present invention has been described rather specifically, itshould be understood that this description has been given solely by wayof example, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in a limitingsense. Obviously the invention can assume many physical forms, and issusceptible of various modifications, and it is intended to include inthis invention all such forms and modifications as come within theappended claims.

Having described my invention, I now claim 1. In a switch lock, a switchoperating lever, a lock bolt for the lever, a first casing containing,operating means for the bolt, a distant controlled detent for theoperating means, distant communicating means adjacent the operatingmeans, means for indicating at a distance, the operation of the distantcontrolled detent, and control and indication circuits controlled by theoperat ing means, a second casing connected to, and communicating with,the first casing, switch means in the second casing operable only fromwithin the first casing, and lockable doors on the casings.

2. In a switch look, a first casing, a switch operating lever, a lockbolt for the lever, operating means for the bolt, a distant controlleddetent for the operating means, a door on the first casing, a secondusing connected to the first casing, an electric switch in the secondcasing, an operating rod in the first casing accessible only when thefirst casing door is open, and means connecting the rod to the electricswitch.

3. In a switch look, a track switch operating lever, a bolt for lockingthe lever, a first casing, an operator for the bolt in the casing, saidoperator having a locking position, an unlocking position in which it isbiased to locking position, and an unlocking position in which it isbiased to unlocking position, a door on the casing, means to preventclosure of the door when the operator is in its last named position, aclosed second casing connected to, and communicating with, the firstcasing, switch means in the second casing, and means inside the firstcasing, for operating the said switch means.

4. In a track switch lock, a switch operating lever, a lock bolt for thelever, a first casing containing, a manual operator for the bolt, adetent for preventing operation of the operator, distance controlledelectrical means controllable b a tower man distant from the track switcfor releasing the tie tent to permit manual operation of the switch,means at the switch for communicating with the tower man, towerindication circuits controlled respectively by the said electricalmeans, and by the manual operator, a second casing connected to thefirst casing, electric switch means in the second casing, and means,accessible only when the first casing is open, for operating the elect-ric switch means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES E. STEPHENSON.

